Serves: 6

• Ingredients

Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Fill a large pot with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente.
Drain and pour into a large bowl.

Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Serves: 5

• Ingredients

Sushi Rice
4 cups Sushi Rice
5 cups Cool Water
6 tablespoons Seasoned Rice Vinegar
3 tablespoons White Sugar
1/2 tablespoon sea salt

Miso Marinade
6 ounces White Miso Paste
4 ounces White Sugar
2 ounce Mirin
1 ounces low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 ounce Fresh Ginger, minced

Oven-Roasted Sweet Miso Cod
Miso Marinade, As Needed
6 Black Code Fillets, 4 to 5 ounces each

Tsukemono Salad
1/2 cup seasoned Rice Vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp Sea Salt
1/4 cup ginger Shoots
1 cup carrots, julienne
1 cup cucumber, cut into circles

Nori Sheets, As Needed
Japanese Mustard Greens (Mizuna), As Needed

• preparation

Sushi Rice:
Rinse and drain rice in a colander until water runs clear. Combine rinsed rice and cool water in a saucepot. Turn heat to medium high and bring water to a simmer. Turn heat to low, cover and continue cooking another 15 to 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove the pot from the burner, and keep covered, to allow rice to cool for 15 minutes. Turn rice out of pot into a large bowl and gently fluff with a rice spoon to separate the grains. Add vinegar, sugar and salt, and continue fluffing until well blended. Allow rice to cool.

Miso Marinade:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Oven-Roasted Sweet Miso Cod:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a grill pan with oil. Grill the cod, skin side up for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn the cod over and brush liberally with miso marinade. Place cod in oven and roast until just opaque throughout. Broil cod with a culinary torch or in a salamander to caramelize.

Tsukemono Salad:
Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium size saucepan. Heat slowly to melt sugar and salt until dissolved. Combine vegetables in a stainless steel or glass bowl and pour hot vinegar mixture over vegetables. Toss to combine and let sit for 5 minutes. Strain off vinegar mixture and save for another use.

Sushi Burritos:
Using a culinary torch or a salamander, toast nori sheets on one side only to make nori crispy.
Place a sheet of toasted nori on a flat work space, shiny-side down. Moisten one end and place a second sheet of toasted nori on moistened edge, overlapping sheets by about an inch, so they are end-to-end, forming a long rectangle. Press sushi rice onto nori sheet as you would any sushi roll. Leave 1 inch of nori uncovered on end closest to you. Leave 6 inches of nori uncovered on the opposite end.
Arrange Tsukemono salad on top of rice and pile a generous amount of Japanese mustard greens on top. . Gently break apart miso cod fillet into bite-size pieces and arrange crosswise on rice on the end closest to you. Roll sushi burrito as you would a regular hand roll, taking care to make the burrito tight and compact. Cut the roll in half crosswise for serving.

Serving Suggestion: Mix together wasabi paste and sour cream with Ponzu Citrus Seasoned Dressing & Sauce to taste for a dipping sauce.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped fine
1 green pepper, cut into small chunks
4 green onions, tops included, chopped
1 package (10 ounces) couscous, prepared according to package directions
Dressing: recipe follows
mint leaves for garnish

Dressing:
In blender or processor, place
1 large chopped garlic clove
1 chopped green onion
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard and 2 teaspoons sugar.

• preparation

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; dredge in oil in pan to coat. Cook about 10 minutes on each side until chicken is fully cooked.
Remove chicken from pan and cut into bite-size pieces; place in large bowl. Add cucumber, chopped mint, green pepper and onions. Place prepared couscous in large bowl and fluff with fork. Add chicken mixture and stir gently.
Pour Dressing over all and toss gently to mix well. Garnish with mint leaves.

Dressing:
In blender or processor, place
1 large chopped garlic clove
1 chopped green onion
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard and 2 teaspoons sugar.

Process until blended, slowly adding
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil.

Serves: 2

• Ingredients

2 6-ounce center-cut fresh cod fillet, boned and skinned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon flour 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
1 medium jalapeno pepper, sliced across
2 tablespoons slivered ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 English cucumber, peeled, cut lengthwise and sliced across
Garnish: thyme sprigs

• preparation

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Season cod fillets with salt and pepper. Dust with flour. Fry cod fillet over medium-high heat until browned on one side, (about 4 minutes). Transfer cod fillets to a plate. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add onion, jalapeno pepper and ginger to skillet. Stir-fry for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add cucumber slices. Mix well. Stir in soy sauce and lemon juice. Place cod fillets on top of vegetables. Spoon some juice over fish. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Arrange on warm plates. Garnish with a thyme sprig.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

6-8 ounce salmon steaks
1 gallon court bouillon
1 cup grated cucumber
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon minced scallion
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

• preparation

Poach salmon steaks in court bouillon. Chill salmon. Remove skin and bones.
PRESENTATION
Arrange salmon on plates or platter.
To make the sauce:
Squeeze out water from the grated cucumber.
Combine with the remaining ingredients, except dill. Spoon sauce over salmon. Sprinkle with chopped dill.

Serves: 4

• Ingredients

6 ounces jumbo lump crab, picked over to remove cartilage and bones
1/2 cup avocado, diced
1/2 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup tomato concasse
1 tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chives, finely sliced
1 lemon, juiced
4 ounces mayonnaise
3 ounces stiffly beaten whipped cream
salt and pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons gazpacho coulis, (see recipe below )
4 sprigs chervil or leaves of basil, for garnish

• preparation

In a small bowl, gently fold the crab with the avocado, cucumber, tomato concasse, shallots, chives and lemon juice together.
In a larger, separate bowl, fold the mayonnaise with the whipped cream. Using a spatula, fold the crab mixture into the mayonnaise mixture. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Place a 3-inch round cookie cutter in the center of a chilled plate. Fill the cookie cutter with the crab salad and remove the cookie cutter.
There should be a cylinder of crab salad. Drizzle the gazpacho coulis around the crab salad, and garnish with chervil or basil.

Gazpacho Coulis:

1 tomato, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 small cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 red bell pepper, seeded
1 clove garlic, peeled and cleaned
1 rib celery, cleaned and trimmed
extra-virgin olive oil
salt

In a food processor, liquefy the tomato, tomato paste and cucumber.
Use a juicer to extract juice out of red pepper, garlic, and celery. With the food processor running, add the juice and olive oil to the tomato puree. Season with salt.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

1 pound ziti or macaronis
1 large cucumbers
1 1/2 cups olive oil
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt

• preparation

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain pasta. Cool under cold running water.
Peel cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Cut into 1/4 inch slices. Toss cucumbers with olive oil, wine, white wine vinegar, dill, and salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Add cucumbers and marinade to drained pasta. Toss until well coated.
Garnish with sprigs of fresh dill.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

1 large head romaine, washed and cut into pieces
1 large green pepper, cut into pieces
1 large seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise, cut into pieces
2 bunches green onions, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup oil cured olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil
16 medium shrimp, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
3 tablespoons dry red wine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano
1/4 cup olive oil

• preparation

Toss together greens, pepper, cucumber, green onions and tomatoes. Toss with dressing. Scatter olives and feta over the top. In heavy skillet heat the olive oil. Add shrimp, garlic and oregano. Toss over high heat until shrimp are pink, curled and just cooked through. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon over salad.
Dressing:
Combine all ingredients and beat until well blended.

Serves: 4

Use bulgur wheat as the base for this Middle Eastern salad of supe rhealthy greens, feta cheese and spices

• Ingredients

1 cup fine bulgur
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves finely chopped (5 cups)
3 tablespoons mint, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 spring onions, sliced
½ cucumber, diced
4 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground allspice
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
100g feta cheese, crumbled
4 lettuce leaves separated, to serve

• preparation

Cook bulgur according to package instructions. Cool.
Stir the kale, mint, spring onions, cucumber and tomatoes through the bulghar wheat. Season with the cinnamon and allspice, then dress with the olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Scatter over the feta. To serve, scoop the salad onto leaves of lettuce.

Serves: 8

Mediterranean Farro Salad with feta, fresh tomatoes, vegetables, and a bright red wine vinaigrette.

• Ingredients

1 cup uncooked Farro, soaked in water for 1 hour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, cut into julienne slices
1 large cucumber seeded and finely diced
3/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers drained and finely diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1 cup frozen petite peas thawed
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the Italian Vinaigrette Dressing:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• preparation

Rinse and drain farro, then cook according to package instructions. Transfer to a large mixing or serving bowl.
While the farro cooks, prepare the dressing: In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, honey, oregano, salt, and pepper until evenly blended. Pour half of the dressing over the warm farro and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat.
Add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl except for the feta: sundried tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red pepper, cherry tomatoes, peas, and parsley. Toss to coat. Taste and add as much of the remaining dressing as you like. Sprinkle with feta, lightly toss again, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Serves: 8

Also known as Pig's ears or elephant ears (over-sized palmiers).

• Ingredients

1 pound puff pastry dough (2 rectangle sheets)
1 tablespoon soft butter
1/2 cup superfine sugar

• preparation

Thaw the puff pastry if frozen. Roll one sheet of dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thick. Spread butter over surface of pastry.
Sprinkle with one half of the sugar. Roll second pastry sheet to the same size as first. Place on top of first. Sprinkle remaining sugar over whole surface.
Fold as sketched bringing the ends to within 3/4 inch of each other. Repeat this folding as shown.
Slice into 1/4-inch- thick "palm leaves". Put leaves on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn cookies over with a spatula.
Continue baking until golden brown. Transfer palmiers on a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Serves: 4

• Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, cleaned and cooked
4 large Belgian Endives, prepared
1 large cucumber, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced

Cucumber Sauce:
Mix in a bowl,
1 cup yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 small cucumber, pared and grated
juice of lemon or lime to taste
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

• preparation

Trim endives and separate leaves.
Arrange endive leaves, shrimp, cucumber and carrot slices on individual cold plates.
Serve with sauce.

Serves: 6

The lox or Nova salmon is wrapped around a savory cream cheese mixture and served as appetizer on slices of cucumber. Can be prepared 24 hours before serving.

• Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
8 ounces lox or Nova salmon, sliced
1 hothouse cucumber

• preparation

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, lemon rind, lemon juice, capers, dill, mustard, and pepper until smooth. On a large sheet of wax paper, spread out the slices of salmon to form a rectangle. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the surface of the salmon.
Roll up the salmon tightly from one end, jelly roll style. Enclose in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Wash cucumber, dry and slice across into 1/4-inch slices.
Just before serving, slice the smoked salmon roll into -inch slices. Top each cucumber slice with a slice of salmon roll. Serve at once.

PRESENTATION
Serve this hors d'oeuvre on a tray. Arrange the cucumber and salmon rolls on the tray into two circles. Garnish center of tray with parsley or dill sprigs.

Serves: 4

This appetizer roll can be frozen. When assembled, it can be refrigerated for hours before serving.

• Ingredients

8 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon tiny capers, drained
1 hot house cucumber
dill sprigs

• preparation

Arrange the smoked salmon slices on a sheet of film wrap in a 12 by 8 inch rectangle.
Mix the cream cheese with the chopped dill; spread over the surface of the smoked salmon.
Sprinkle capers over the cream cheese. Roll up the smoked salmon jelly roll style to form a cylinder. Enclose in the film wrap. Refrigerate for several hour, until the cylinder is firm. Wash the cucumber. Slice across in quarter inch slices.
Thaw salmon roll if frozen. Slice thinly, and arrange on cucumber slices. Garnish with dill sprigs.
PRESENTATION
Arrange the hors d'oeuvres on a tray. Garnish center of tray with a small bunch of fresh dill.

Serves: 6

The smoked salmon is wrapped around cucumber sticks and served as hors d'oeuvre with a tart sherry vinegar dip, and can be assembled 2 hours before serving.

• Ingredients

for the sherry vinegar dip:
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced
3 scallions, white part only, thinly sliced across
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
to taste salt and ground black pepper

for the smoked salmon sticks:
1/2 hothouse cucumber
1/4 pound smoked salmon, sliced thin

• preparation

Prepare the sherry vinegar dip:
Mix the sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, dill, heavy cream, coriander, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready for use. Wash cucumber under cold water. Cut across into 4 equal pieces. Split each piece into 6 to 8 sticks.
Cut the smoked salmon into strips, 1 inch wide and about 2 inches long. Wrap a strip of smoked salmon around the bottom of each cucumber stick and refrigerate.
PRESENTATION
Serve this hors d'oeuvre on a tray. Pour the dip in a small serving bowl and place in the center of the tray. Arrange the cucumber slices sticks on one side of the tray, and the toast fingers on the other side. Dip the cucumber-salmon sticks in the dip and enjoy with the toast.

Serves: 6

• Ingredients

2 6-ounce packages albacore tuna packed in water, drained
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup diced seeded English hothouse cucumber
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
1/4 cup drained capers
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
12 1/3-inch-thick slices olive bread
1 cup arugula

• preparation

Mix tuna, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and next 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Divide tuna salad among 6 bread slices; top with arugula leaves.
Spread remaining mayonnaise on remaining 6 bread slices; place atop arugula.
Cut sandwiches in half; wrap each tightly in plastic wrap.
Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate.

Serves: 12

Tzatziki is one of the most classic Greek sauces, served with everything from pita (as a dip) to lamb to seafood.

• Ingredients

1 large English cucumber, peeled and grated
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoon lemon juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 sprig fresh dill for garnish
1 pinch cayenne pepper for garnish (if desired)

• preparation

Sprinkle grated cucumber with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and let stand 10 to 15 minutes to draw out juice.

Place yogurt into a separate bowl. Dump cucumber and its juice onto a sturdy, dry paper or cloth towel and squeeze as much moisture as possible from the cucumber. Mix cucumber into yogurt. Add garlic, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice; mix thoroughly.

Stir dill and mint into yogurt-cucumber mixture; season with salt and black pepper. Adjust all seasonings to taste.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours (or overnight). Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a sprig of dill and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for color.

Serves: 8

• Ingredients

For salad:
6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch
2 2/3 cups orzo
1 1/4 cups cubed seeded tomatoes
3/4 cup cubed seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon peel

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped lemon peel
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup olive oil
1 head Boston lettuce

• preparation

Salad:
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add snap peas; cook 1 minute. Using slotted spoon transfer beans to strainer. Rinse with cold water and drain. Add orzo to same pot. Boil until tender but still firm to bite. Drain and cool.
Place orzo in large bowl. Mix in snap peas, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, parsley, mint and lemon peel. Season with salt and pepper.
Dressing:
Combine lemon juice, lemon peel and garlic. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour half of dressing over salad; toss to coat. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover salad and remaining dressing separately and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
Toss salad with enough dressing to coat generously. Season with salt and pepper.
Line serving bowl with lettuce. Mound salad in bowl.